Thur.’s Devo - Draw Our Nation Back to You.

Read: Hosea 1:1-3:5; 1 John 5:1-21; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 29:5-8
God told Hosea to go find a wife and she would be a picture of the whoredoms of God’s people. From what I found in research, Gomer (which means “completion”) was not a prostitute at the beginning just like Israel was not a prostitute at Sinai when God gave her the law which was his marriage contract to her. Israel became a prostitute as Gomer did after the birth of their third child.
Jereboam II was the king of Israel at the time and Israel was flourishing on the outside though idolatrous on the inside. He died during the 15th year of Uzziah’s reign in Judah and from that time forth every king in Israel worshipped false gods.
Hosea prophecied Israel’s downfall which was unconceivable by human standards since Israel was so powerful and rich at the time.
Hosea and Gomer’s first son’s name was Jezreel because God was going to judge Jezreel and the house of Jehu. “Jezreel” means “God will scatter” and God was going to do that very thing to Israel. Jezreel had been Ahab’s royal city. With the help of Jezebel, Ahab had killed Naboth for his vineyard and led Israel into all sorts of idolatry. Jehu had ridden like a mad man into Jezreel and killed Jezebel and all of Ahab’s family. Jehu destroyed Baal worship from Israel but fell into worshipping the golden calves that Jeroboam had set up.
Gomer had a second son and named him Lo-Rumah which means “not loved”. Then, Gomer had a daughter and named her “Lo-Ammi” which means “you are not my people and I am not your God.” This was God’ proclamation over Israel.
Hosea gave the people an allegory to be a picture to them of their idolatrous heart. Israel had chosen to leave God and go after other lovers. She did not realize it was the Lord who caused her to prosper and gave her all the things she had. So now, God was going to take his blessings back and she would be punished for her sin. But then, God would draw her back with love and tenderness and she would return with a new heart to love the Lord.
Like Israel, Gomer had left and committed adultery. God told Hosea to go buy her back just like he would buy Israel back with the price of his son’s blood. God promised to bless her and be her husband once again.
In First John we read that we are to overcome the world because of our faith and belief in Jesus as the son of God.
Jesus came by both water and blood. He was born like us in the water of his mother’s womb, but God’s blood ran through his veins. Jesus also came in the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ birth, the Holy Spirit and God all testify that Jesus is his son and in him we have eternal life.
He tells us once again, if we are born of God we will not continue to sin because we are kept safe in him and the enemy can not harm us. The world is under the control of the evil one but we are under God’s control living in his kingdom.
Lord, help us to stand in righteousness and faith. Draw our nation back to you as you did for Israel.